Founded by Howard Meyer in 1998, Axial Theatre is a Westchester-based ensemble of 15 theatre actors, writers and directors dedicated to the development and production of relevant new plays.

Axial nurtures play development by providing a supportive atmosphere for playwrights to take risks, try out concepts, get feedback and criticism, and then see the written word come to life through informal readings, workshops, one acts plays and full productions. This approach enables the theatre company to be in dialogue with its audiences. At Axial, audiences are given the rare opportunity to participate in the development of new works by responding to works in progress through extensive after-show discussions. This process not only benefits the playwrights and actors but also the audience members, who get the rare and enjoyable chance to be part of the development of a new work.

Under Mr. Meyer’s Artistic Direction, Axial has produced over 45 plays as staged readings, workshops or full productions has presented premieres, staged readings and workshops of new plays by Jake Jeppson, Brian Quirk, Megan Mostyn-Brown, Linda Giuliano, Tony Howarth, Jessica Dickey, Matt Hoverman, Brian O’Neill, Ryan Mallon, Adam Rapp, Gina Gionfriddo, and Howard Meyer, many of which have gone on to have lives in NYC, nationally and internationally.

2010 Axial company and cast of “For The Love of Money”

For the Love of Money is “a wholly satisfying evening of theater full of those all-in-the-same-boat reminders, given in tightly written but well wrought slices of life.”

– Peter Kramer, Journal News

“If you want to feel deep compassion, laugh with delight straight from the belly, cringe with recognition, and fill your senses with wonderful theater go and see the four one-act plays, “Inside/out.” The acting will make you forget you are in a theater.”

– Cynthia Wetzler, New York Times

“Axial is a hotbed of creative productions and learning.”

– Michael Milius, Bedford Record Review

“The premiere theatre in Westchester.”

– Rick Helfenbein, NCCTV

“This grass roots theater company has the great mission of creating and performing new works for the stage. The plays are written by new and accomplished writers and performed by an incredibly talented company of actors.”

-Steve Apkon, Founder, Jacob Burns Film Center

2007 Axial production of “Two Hearts,” An evening of One-Acts by Linda Giuliano. The Axial Company with featured guest actor Cliff Carpenter, seated

Plays developed by Axial playwrights have been produced at the New York Fringe Festival and performed in New York City at HERE, Dixon Place’s FUSE Festival, The Samuel French One-Act Festival and in San Francisco at the New Conservatory Theatre. In addition, one of Axial’s plays was selected as a finalist in the Princess Grace Playwriting Competition and Brian Quirk, an Axial produced playwright, was twice invited to the prestigious McDowell Writers Colony on the basis of plays developed at Axial Theatre. Axial has garnered rave reviews, in the Journal News, Westchester’s premiere newspaper, from Peter Kramer For The Love of Money, and in 2009 for Cherry and Jerry, from Bob Heisler and again from Heisler in 2007 and 2008 for Two Hearts and AngelBeast.